Thank you NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never thought feathers could be so magical.

'If I Promise You Wings' tells the story of Alix Leclaire, a teenager who dreams of being a famous feather artist. But wait, she's still grieving the loss of her one and only best friend and she doesn't dare to speak up for herself if she could. The only times she ever felt free was when she was with her wild-as-heck BFF, and whenever she worked on feathers---and then she gets transported to this enchanting headspace where nothing is impossible. She gets a position in Paris's most famous feather boutique where she trains on the art of feathers.

Honestly, it took me a long while to even get through the first ~25% of this story because it was all about Alix feeling sad for Jeanne's death, who by the way sounds like someone who I wouldn't befriend IRL (Alix has questionable company lol), and the fact that her dad is a major jerk. Also her mom abandoned their family a long time ago so it couldn't get any more depressing for Alix. Until she decides one day to, "Hey, I'll go to this super famous salon and ask the owner to put me under her wing", which is probably the first time she acted brave-ish.

You'd think it gets better from then on, right? Not really. Sure, we get to meet Mademoiselle Salome and the people behind Mille et Une Plume, including the oh-so-hot Raven, but things only move forward when Alix makes an acquaintance with one of Jeanne's boys, Blaise. A love triangle ensues, and oh my god, just like Alix, I can't seem to choose which of the two she should end up with. Both are the exact opposites and yet I couldn't help but fall in love with their charms.

The story was utterly beautiful. A.K. Small wrote everything in such an easy yet flowy language that I felt like I was floating, just like one of Alix's feathers. Alix's painfully slow progress from being directionless to eventually finding her true calling got me rooting for her in the end.

And finally, the cover! Gosh, the cover's the main reason why I grabbed my chance for this eARC in the first place. Enchantée!

Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the chance to read and review If I Promise you Wings by A. K. Small.

I do really appreciate that A. K. Small set this in the world of feather artistry which was completely new to me! It felt like being in a fantasy! Like feather artistry does feel completely unreal even now! The inclusion of Emily Dickinson’s poem was also a lovely touch!

The book is sweet. There is no other way to put it. It’s great to see Alix grow and deal with her grief and meet new people and branch out, but aside from that a lot of the stuff with her father was really anti-climatic (even though I understand that life can be that way) and even stuff at Mille etc Une Plume was very everyone wins and is happy at the end of it all.

But again, I am 28, I am absolutely not the target audience for this book, which may love it a lot more than I do!

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for providing me with this beautiful e-ARC.

I love it so much. I couldn't stop reading it until I finished. The story about Alix is so inspiring. It feels magical and cozy with a little bit of darkness tint. I also love the trope of found family here. I could imagine all the wings they made with heart, how Alix connected with those feathers (she sometimes felt the feathers were alive). I also can feel Alix's grief for her best friend, Jeanne.

These are some quotes I like:
- "Being an artist means not being afraid of tackling everything, especially what we are terrible at."
- "Infuse the wings with what lives inside you."

I would love to recommend this book to everyone, especially if you like Disney's vibes!

First of all, thank you Algonquin Young Reader and netgalley for the arc.i will write a detailed review for Goodreads and Instagram, soon.
📚 Summary:
The story is about Alix who wants to be a top premiere feather designer in Paris. She got a job at a top premiere feather boutique because she promised her friend she would follow her dream. The tragic thing is her friend Jeanne who she made this promise to passed away in a car accident.
Alix learns the ropes of the job by being trained by Raven the dark mysterious boy who is the shop owners son and a feather artist. In the meantime her shop wins the bid for the next Moulin Rouge show. In the meantime Alix is torn between the handsome rebellious boy, Raven and her friend from school, Blaise who is a very cute and nice musician.

👍 What I Loved:
—>self discovery
—>fighting the grief and guilt of her best friend's death
—>the family abandonment (?)
—>life is a struggle for her everyday while trying to chase her dreams
—>a very quick read.

The book has you(not me tho...) rooting for Alix to make it throughout her trials.

🤔 Thoughts:
Before I say something else I want to let everyone know that i have a love and hate relationship with this book.
Alix was a b**** but the she out grew herself and became a bit bearable. I have always hated book girls who are torn between 2 different boys at the same time and still somehow, I always end up picking up books with that trope... From Avery to Alix, I am unable to pick just one certain emotion for them between love and hate.
Books like this one make me question my own ability of comprehension.... tbh, Raven was not a "bad boy" as everyone else keeps saying, he is just a kid stuck in his own tragedies(?) and difficulties, he deserved better!! Blaise is our goody two shoes(not in the last few pages👀) he also deserves better, this Alix girl.... nah he should get someone better!!! Blaise and Alix are breaking up after the epilogue for sure!!

I was totally entranced from the beginning as Alix has a dream of being a feather artist in Paris. I had a vague idea what "feather artistry" might be but searched and was flabbergasted by the beauty and expertise needed to create these illusions.

Like Alix, who is dealing with grief at the loss of her friend, feathers are strong, beautiful, soft, colorful, and useful for flight and protection.

A glorious story of friendship, artistry, dreams, and love.

I have high hopes for this story. The synopsis intrigues me to read it. It not common you get to introduce to the world of feather artist. It feels like living in fairytale but in real life settings. We see magic from arts and of course translating the magical feeling into words is not an easy task. It feels magical and it a bummer that i’m not that diligent to google every feathers mentioned in the stories. The only way is to create my own imagination of the feather.

Plot wise is okay. Plays a lot with Alix monologue, inner conflict. But relationship wise it’s a bit cringy. Especially with Raven. He was princed charming too much to the point that it’s cringing and we dont see the chemistry between Alix and Raven. Only Raven perfect side. The perfect guy to fall in love, handsome and all. That’s it. We don’t see Alix truly rely her emotions to Raven which makes their relationship far from fetch, the way we want. To the point that I totally support Alix if she ended up with Blaise. But after all it’s not a bad thing and it’s make sense if the reader truly understands the characters.

After all, it’s not bad. It’s a good book with a complicated side of it. People who deemed for solid personality won’t understand Alix and Alix’s choices, I think.

This book sent me into the chaos of a rollercoaster that left me not only reeling but also swooning and grateful for the people in my life.

I loved the whole setting of Paris and that it's set in the fashion industry - one that makes me so fascinated. This is a glamorous story but also filled with overcoming grief and finding yourself.

There are some things that I enjoyed and disliked in this book.

First, I liked the scenes focusing around the main characters past and her friend. I thought they were interesting to read. I liked Blaise as a character, in both as his general personality and how he treated the main character. I also enjoyed the Paris setting.

I didn’t like Raven’s character at all and the way he treated Alix. Even from the start, when he was first introduced I wasn’t fond of his character.

Alix as a main character wasn’t my favourite. I thought the way she dealt with the whole Raven or Blaise situation was odd and how she refused to believe Blaise was telling her the truth about his relationship with Jeanne. Small details but the still irked me lol.

Overall, this was enjoyable, but due to the characters personalities I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I could have.

DNF at 52%.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for an ARC! Unfortunately, I'm finding myself struggling through this book and know a review would be difficult to write since I just don't have a lot to say about it. The plot, characters, and writing style aren't ultimately for me although the premise and setting are great.

When her best friend Jeanne dies in a car crash, Alex finds herself approaching Mademoiselle Salomé of Mille etc Une Plume about a possible apprenticeship. Alix finds herself torn between Raven, Mademoiselle Salomé's son and Blaise, a boy from her childhood.

A tender story about growing up, following your heart and never giving up on your dreams.

I was fortunate enough to win an early copy of IF I PROMISE YOU WINGS by A.K. Small through a Shelf Awareness Giveaway. Thanks to the publisher, and have a safe and spooky Halloween!

There is a lot to enjoy here -- I love the stream of consciousness voice, the self discovery, and the Parisian setting. Teen romance readers will totally love the love triangle even though it is so obvious Raven is absolutely up to no good. There is an element of this being a dream fantasy of young adulthood (the lack of parents and scant mention of phones make this feel a little outside of time and reality). I wish I had connected with the grief story more but I think I needed more moments of Jeanne being a good friend for me to truly be sad she died. I will say despite the explanations, I was perpetually baffled by Alix's obsession with feathers. But this book is definitely a vibe, as the kids say.